Bioseparations- An Assessment of Current Technologies and Future Applications

Abstract

The recent developments of recombinant-DNA technologies and of monoclonal antibody production provide exceptional potential for bringing to the market whole new classes of biological materials. In order for this potential to be realized, cost effective production methods have to be established. Downstream processing, particularly the separation and purification of biotechnology products, presents special challenges because in many cases the new products are much more fragile, much more difficult to purify and at present in the process stream in much more dilute form than traditional petrochemical products. This paper will present a survey of current bioseparations processes at the analytical and preparatory levels and will examine the difficulties involved in bioprocess scale-up. A pilot project at the University of Texas at Austin, for the development of general methodologies for the scale-up of purification procedures, from laboratory to pilot-scale, for protein products from biotechnology, will be discussed.